A.S. Watson has announced a wide-ranging set of commitments that includes a pledge to offer 200,000 job opportunities for young people globally, of which 25,000 jobs will be provided across the UK in Superdrug and Savers by 2030.
A recent report published by the International Labour Organisation revealed that the Covid-19 pandemic has severely impacted the global labour market, with youth employment dropping by 8.7% during the period. Many companies scaled back hiring during this time due to the economic downturn, making it difficult for young people to secure employment.
In a bid to combat the downturn in employment, A.S. Watson has developed a set of commitments and actions to support young people’s career development. These include:
- Offering 200,000 job opportunities for Young People globally by 2030, equipping young people with essential skills to prepare them for a job in the retail sector.
- Offering 25,000 job opportunities (out of the 200,000 global pledge) for 16-23-year-olds across the UK by 2030 and equipping young people with essential skills to prepare them for a job in the retail sector.
- Investing 5 million global training and coaching hours to upskill the younger generation for a future in O+O (Offline plus Online) by 2030 from training sessions to on-the-job coaching.
Amy Davies, People Director at Superdrug and Savers, said: “We understand healthy business is only possible with a healthy society and believe that decisive action is needed to build a society that nurtures talent, embraces diversity, and improves livelihoods. Our pledge will create a better, stronger business; ready for the huge societal changes we are experiencing today.”
Joanne Mackie, Group People Director (Europe) for the A.S. Watson Group, added: “Young people are an important source of talent and creativity; by developing their skills, we can make our business stronger and fitter for the future.
“We are not only offering job opportunities, we’re also providing training and coaching to give young people the skills they need to work in the new world of O+O retail. We plan to provide 5 million training hours for our global workforce to embrace the future. We look forward to 200,000 talented young people joining us between now and 2030 to help fuel the sustainable growth engine for A.S. Watson.”
